Men urged to encourage their wives get cervical cancer screening

Coalition for the Empowerment of Women and Girls (CEWAG) and Hope for Cancer Foundation (HOCAF) have encouraged men in the country to take an active role in encouraging their wives to get screened for cervical cancer.

Kumwenda speaking during the awareness campaign

08October

Speaking Friday in Dedza during an awareness campaign on cervical cancer, Executive Director for CEWAG, Beatrice Mkanda said there are low levels of uptake for cervical cancer tests in the district, alongside Mchinji and Mangochi due to limited knowledge about the disease.

She said some men are reportedly subjecting their wives to gender based violence or dumping them after they get diagnosed with the medical condition.

“We are discouraging men from ill-treating their wives after they have been diagnosed with cervical cancer. For instance, some men divorce their wives and marry another woman just because their first wife is sick,” Mkanda pointed out.

She noted that, “With the active participation of men during the campaign, we are assured that they have grasped the knowledge to support their wives in getting screened for cervical cancer as well as caring for them when diagnosed positively,” said Mkanda.

Communication Development and Resource Mobilization Officer for HOCAF, John Kumwenda expressed concern that more women continue to get cervical cancer yet early detection of the disease can help prevent it.

He encouraged parents to get their daughters vaccinated against cervical cancer when Ministry of Health rolls out Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign in January 2019.

The Cancer Awareness Campaigns were taking place under the theme, ‘human rights approach to reproductive cancer management’ with funding from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) through the Ministry of health.